Fazrul hopes to pip Ramazotti to Golden Boot award
Fazrul and Ramazotti locked in duel for goals
WARRIORS FC v BRUNEI DPMM
(Tomorrow, 7.30pm, Choa Chu Kang Stadium)
The two front-runners for this year's Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League Golden Boot will go head to head tomorrow night at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
But Warriors FC's Fazrul Nawaz, on 18 goals, and Brunei DPMM's Rafael Ramazotti, who has scored one more, will have different motivations.
Fazrul is aiming to make history by becoming the first local-born top scorer since the S.League was started in 1996.
Naturalised citizens Aleksandar Duric, Mirko Grabovac and Egmar Goncalves are the only Singaporeans to have finished as the S.League's top marksmen.
The Warriors have failed in their bid to retain the title, but personal glory remains for Fazrul.
"Of course I've been thinking of it," said the 30-year-old yesterday.
"We badly want to beat DPMM (tomorrow).
"And if I could score a goal while we do it, it would be even more special."
Winning the Golden Boot would cap a stunning turnaround for Fazrul.
Back in January, he signed a lucrative contract with Malaysian Premier League outfit Sabah, alongside former Liverpool striker El-Hadji Diouf, but the move quickly turned into a nightmare.
His contract was eventually terminated in controversial fashion, and the striker actually considered quitting the game because of the ordeal.
He eventually got the green light in April to sign for former club Warriors FC, after the first three games of the season.
The fact he is neck and neck with Ramazotti - who scored a hat-trick in DPMM's first game of the season - highlights what a good campaign the national striker is having.
"All this while, I've been chasing Ramazotti," said Fazrul.
"He started from the first game, so for me to catch up and even be in the running is good enough.
"Now I just want to finish the season strongly."
DETERMINED
His Brazilian rival, meanwhile, is determined to fire DPMM to a first S.League title.
The Bruneian side and their coach Steve Kean are desperate to avoid a repeat of last season's meltdown, where they led the way for most of the way only to concede the title at the death, winning just one of their last five games.
DPMM have lost their last two games - against title rivals Tampines Rovers last Saturday, and, shockingly, against bottom side Geylang International on Tuesday.
Ramazotti scored against Geylang, but could not help his side from slipping to a 2-1 defeat.
"That defeat was really hard to take, and to understand," said the 27-year-old.
"If I could trade my goal for a win, I would.
"For me, it's better we win than I score."
The 1.93m-tall target man, who played for clubs in Portugal, Switzerland and Japan before joining DPMM, is determined to help his side get back to winning ways against the Warriors.
"For sure," said Ramazotti.
"It's the match of our lives again, and I want to score and help us win.
"It's another final."
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